Flames Within The Cage
by caitlinlep
Summary: Ace was only shown at the stage of execution, his last few hours of life, but something wasn't shown. Ace's time within his cell at Marineford. Take a look into Ace's last few days of life within the jail bars. Contains flashbacks to his past life before he was caught, a Marine OC and their backstory and how a famous caged pirate and their guard communicate at deaths door.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: New Story! Inspiration hit me! A great way to get my creative juices turning for my main story 'One Piece In The Wind'. I always loved Ace, and I've been going threw the chapters of his execution and came up with this idea. I know its not realistic to the time he actually spent in the Marineford jail, but I felt like he needed a story from his time spent in it, as well as filled with flash backs for all of us to just enjoy the character that was and always will be the fire fist Ace. The OC is for story effect, it's not really based on her, more so on Ace but it does flip back and forth between the two. I hope you guys enjoy it and as always, the more reviews I receive the faster I'll update, and if you find any spelling errors please leave that in the review as well, I'm not that good in catching my own mistakes and I always find them embarrassing. Thank you, and enjoy.**

* * *

Ace had come around to excepting this. This fate. He failed, no one but him. Here he was, stuck in Marineford jail by himself, awaiting death. It was almost funny, he never thought he would be here, not ever. Sitting in this grimy jail cell, everything taken from him, but his pants, even his shoes...his shoes. What where the marines scared of? That he was going to take his shoelaces and strangle an officer when he got a chance? Ridiculous. What was more ridiculous was this draining, having no energy feeling that he had constantly, twenty four seven, along with his swore, rubbed raw wrists. They couldn't of thought of a more comfortable way to make sea stone cuffs? Ace chuckled openly at the thought. Even if they had they wouldn't use them on pirates.

_Clink_

The metallic tink of a food tray awoke him from his mindless chattering thoughts. Ace looked up at the intruder, the big burly man of a marine, who was in charge of watching him, was replaced by a slender woman with green eyes. She looked at the figure hiding at the back of the cell and gave the tray an encouraging shove closer to him. Ace's face turned into a smirk, "What no comments with my dinner?" His voice was grainy and hoarse, not like the happy go lucky sound he was used to, in what seemed like a very distant past. He could almost hear Marco in the back of his head telling him to smarten up or his remarks would get him in trouble one day. Which they often did, the usual Marine that watched his cell would usually 'accidentally' toss the food too hard spilling it on the ground, or pouring his daily portion of water on the ground, even up to drinking it as Ace watched, swallowing, trying to do anything to relieve his dry throat.

"You should eat."

The voice was a shock to his system. It was soft, but more importantly, it wasn't full of hate and venom. When was the last time he had a friendly conversation...Impel Down? No that wasn't friendly, that was two people locked in a jail cell with a need for human conversation. Wait...he was in a jail cell right now, with a marine, not another cellmate. No matter if she was a female and considerably less rude then his previous guard, she was still a marine...watching him to make sure he didn't escape his execution. He shook his head and scooted forward, coming into the light, towards the door, towards the food. As he came into the light he heard the guard's sharp intake of breath, looking up he got a closer look at the lady Marine. She had those bright green eyes, the same eyes Ace would've gone crazy for out of this prison, in a past life. He could hear Vista's quirky voice in his ear, back at the port of some back water island.

* * *

"Yo Ace, gonna go with the guys to find someone to spend the night with?"

Ace leaned back on the warmed railing of the Moby Dick. Watching the men running around to finish everything fast so they would be able to head in town to the bars.

"I dunno Vista, are you?" Ace chuckled, a devilish smirk flashing across his face.

This is how it would always start, that question. Vista and Ace both had a soft spot for green eyes...which the conquests of the port rarely had, making them always compete in a sort of...healthy...competition.

"That's what you lack I'm afraid..." Vista added, a sly grin greeting his lips as he jokingly poked at the man.

Ace raised an eyebrow and turned towards the man.

"What do I lack exactly?"

"Hm, well you lack romance Ace, my friend. If it weren't for your looks we wouldn't be in this stalemate."

"Haha, I'll take it as compliment, pirates have no room for romance Vista."

* * *

"Your wrists."

Ace's head shot up, was that Vista's voice? Was he here?

"What?" he muttered, looking into the darkness in front of the metal bars.

"Your wrists...their bleeding."

No...he wasn't, it was the guard. He almost laughed out loud, he confused Vista's voice with a female Marine! Vista would kick his ass once he figured out...if he figured out...he wasn't going to ever know. Why did this Marine care if his wrists were bleeding? Why did she even point it out? To rub it in? No, there would've been animosity in her voice, not...worry. What was happening to him? Was he going crazy? It was the lack of water...that was it. Could little to no water make someone go crazy? Was this all a hallucination? Was this female a figment of his imagination? Speaking of water... Ace reached down and grasped the metal cup on the tray, bringing it to his lips and swallowing the luke warm heaven in what seemed like no time at all. He didn't know what was worse, a dry throat or finishing the water in one gulp and wanting more.

"Do you want more?"

Ace slowly glanced up at the girl, was she offering more water? Why? Did she just want to torment him? Wait for him to say yes then laugh in his face as she indulged in the liquid? He tried to find the hidden motive in her face, which contained a few speckles of light freckles on her cheeks, just below her eyes. Freckles, man he always thought freckles were so cute.

* * *

"Hm, you almost look like your were sincere there." Marco chuckled, crossing his arms as he looked at the second commander in all his glory.

Ace's smirk raised along with an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Marco shook his head, "It was the freckles wasn't it?"

The smirk dropped, "w-what are you even getting on with?"

"That girl...telling her you have to 'leave for more adventures to let your free spirit loose'. Get those lines from Vitca?"

Ace dropped his eyes to the deck, scratching his head in embarrassment, "You caught me. Apparently I have no romanticism. Whatever that is."

Marco's laugh echoed on the almost empty deck.

"Trust me, Vitca's 'romance' only will ever work for Vitca."

"Eh," Ace shrugged, "gave it a try."

"It was the freckles." Marco laughed out, turning and giving a wave before he started down the stairs to below deck, "It's always the freckles."

* * *

"Yes? No? I heard you talk so I know you can."

It was that guard again, only she had crouched down and was at the same level as him, only the metal bars of his cage between them. Why was she so persistent? He did want water, he just didn't know what would be the outcome if he agreed. Ace coughed, and the guards face softened. She grabbed another cup and went to the other side of the hallway dipping it into the bucket, filling it with water and bringing it back to the cell. Kneeling down and slipping her arm threw the space in between the bars offering it to him. Ace smirked, instantly snapping his arm out and grabbing the Marine's slender arm, spilling the contents of the cup as well. The girl gasped as Ace pulled her arm towards him, squishing her face against the cold bars.

"Silly little Marine girl." Ace crackled, looking up to meet those green eyes, which were staring back at him. "You think this is a game. You know who I am. You should be cowering in fear. I could break your pretty little arm right now."

Of course he wouldn't, he just wanted to gain some sort of footing in this situation. Not be so helpless, he wanted to know what was going threw her head. Ace wasn't about hurting people unless he had a reason, usually Marines met that mark...but not when there was no reason to.

"Yes..." she finally spoke, her lips moving against the grimy pole, "I know who you are."

Ace smirked again, still holding onto her arm, gripping tightly even though his wrists stung where the cuffs strained against his skin.

"And because of that." she continued, making the smirk fall off of his face, "I know you wont hurt me."

They stayed there in their silence, Ace not wanting to let go. He felt strangely attached to this skin to skin contact. Maybe it was the lacking in the 'skin to skin contact'...how long had it been? Way to long, longer then it had ever been for him. Maybe it was the green eyes paired with the freckles, it was the perfect combination...for him anyway. She would be the type of girl him and Vista would compete for.

"If you let go of me...I can get you another glass of water." she offered, still looking him straight in the eyes, no faltering.

"Y...yeah." he muttered, his voice cracking as he slowly...reluctantly let go of her arm.

She pulled it back and rubbed her wrist as she went to refill the cup that was full only moments ago.

"Drink this one slower, it'll help your throat and you wont get sick from the shock to your stomach." she explained, handing it to him.

Ace could only nod, taking miniature sips of the water, while staring down the strange marine girl. It was torture...he just wanted to gulp it all down, but her words did carry some wisdom. If he did chug it down instantly his stomach, which was probably shrunken by now with the lack of everything, would probably reject it. While taking his time he tried to wrap his head around this Marine. She wasn't scared of him in the slightest...Hell, pirates were scared of him let alone Marines! Why was this girl not?

"Who are you?" Ace asked, his voice slowly starting to sound half normal to his ears.

"I'm a Marine Rear Admiral." She explained, taking the cup back after he finished.

"Marine Rear Admiral..." the words came out covered in surprise, for one, this slender girl was a rear admiral, and for another...why have such a high position on guard duty?

She motioned towards the bun on the food tray, "You should try eating something."

Ace was going crazy, just what was happening? Honestly, his thought process was a lot clearer after the water had settled into his system, but this whole situation still didn't make any sense.

"Why is a Rear Admiral on guard duty?" he asked, taking a bite out of the hardened bread.

The girl sighed, grabbing the tray and sliding it out of the bottom of his cell, leaving it on the floor beside her.

"You're high priority, just in case someone tries to break you out I'm here to stop them." she explained

Ace swallowed his mouthful and swore he could of heard it fall in his stomach.

"You...the last stand?" he sounded more suspicious then he wanted to, but it was hard to believe.

Ace heard the girl chuckle, and, for being in prison surrounded by criminals for what seems like forever, it sounded like paradise.

"Lets just say I'm good in close quarters." she replied, dipping the cup into the water again.

Ace raised an eyebrow, by this time he would've already spat out some funny quip, but he hardly had the energy to think that fast recently.

"What's your name?" he asked, finishing the bun.

Chewing slowly as he watched her sat back down in front of him.

"Sukui." she muttered, watching him with those green eyes.

Ace couldn't hold in his laughter, "Isn't that coincidental."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Here we are! Chapter 2! For some reason this is coming really fast, but I guess that's with all new stories right? Well, that and I always loved Ace but never touched him with a story for the fact that I was so focused on 'One Piece In The Wind'. I still like that story but I need a break to think it all out...and Ace needed some love. Thank you for reading! And if you could tell me how you feel about it that would be great! Haha, it helps ^^ Well, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

He really did feel like yesterday was a dream, some sort of escape to paradise from the hell he was in. But when he awoke, he awoke to his usual sore neck and back that comes with sleeping while propped up by the wall, but his throat felt immensely better...and he wasn't as delirious as before. His head wasn't as foggy and blank. So it was real, that girl was real.

"Yo..." Ace called out into the darkness in front of his cell, "Marine Girl?"

His voiced echoed threw out the emptiness, he suddenly got a tad bit worried that it was a dream, that his previous guard was going to stick his ugly mug into the light and go off on him for calling the Marine a girl.

He saw an outline of the figure move in the darkness across the cell, "Do you want some water?"

That same sweet voice brought a smile to his dirty face. He could hear her stand up from her seat across the hallway to get another cup and following that the delicious sound of that said cup dipping into the bucket of water. She finally stood up next to the cell door, into the light rays of the only dim lamp that hung on the ceiling right next to the bars. Her hand reached threw the metal poles and held out the cup for him.

"Did you stay here all night?" Ace asked, scrunching up towards the door.

He grasped onto the cup and greedily drank the contents. Watching the girl as he did, something was different.

"They decided they didn't need to hide my rank anymore." the Marine explained, apparently catching Ace's look, "They figured if people were going to make it here to try and break you out then they would be smart enough to realize."

That's right, yesterday she was wearing the normal white pants, t-shirt and cap. Now she was wearing a pair of black pants, with a white blouse and the cape-like 'justice' jacket hanging on her feminine shoulders. Her brown hair, which was hidden the other day underneath her cap, was now past her shoulders and a tad bit of beach waves to it.

"And no, I didn't." She answered, taking the cup back and sitting across from him by the cell door, "My shift switched shortly after you fell asleep and then I was back on this afternoon. I guess you slept the entire time?"

Ace answered with a nod, that's why he felt better, he had gotten, well not a good nights sleep, but the closest to one in a while. His complete feel of time was thrown off, he had felt like it was morning, but it was actually past mid day, he used to be able to tell around what time it was without a clock...so much things were changing.

"Why?"

Sukui's head tilted as her green eyes seemed to be searching for some sort of further explanation.

"Why are you doing this?" Ace motioned towards the cup, now empty of water, "I'm a pirate, your a Marine. Why are you going the extra mile to make sure I'm ok?"

The girl's lips straightened into a flat line, making Ace's confusion grow into irritation.

"What's it for?" he sneered, "You want me to feel like I have a chance, give me a step up only to knock me down two?"

The silence grew thick and it seemed like Ace was feeding off of it. He snapped and flew forward with a new found energy, thanks to his higher quantities of water and food, grabbed the bars and pressing his face against the space between the bars. The chain links between the cuffs along his wrists clinked against the cell door, the only sound currently filling the dreary hallway of empty prison cells.

"What do you take me for? You think playing with someone's life is funny? Entertaining?"

The rage in his voice reached Sukui's ears, making her look away from the prisoner in what seemed like either shame or sorrow.

"I don't..." she said in a voice no higher then a whisper.

Ace's eyes narrowed, searching her face for something, some indicator of what was going on in her head. He wanted, no, needed to figure out what she was thinking, why she was doing this.

"Then why?" He urged further, demanding an answer.

"Do you happen to know of Rear Adm-...I mean the Pirate that goes by the name 'X-Drake'?"

Ace's face was of one of full surprise, what was she starting on with?

"One of the Supernovas?"

She must have caught some sort of recognition in him, because she continued without waiting for an answer.

"He was once a Rear Admiral in the Navy. He was actually my teacher, and I was his assistant..."

* * *

"Commodore Sukui!"

His voice ran straight threw her in the few times she had met the man, mostly when he was yelling.

"Yes Rear Admiral?" she asked, straightening up and flying her hand up to her forehead in the traditional greeting of higher ranking officers.

Drake was walking straight towards her, only to pass the girl and continue down the extremely large dock.

"You're coming with me," he started to say, his back still turned and his steady strides taking him farther away from her, "You've been transferred to my ship."

Sukui's form broke, her hand dropped and he looked shocked at the Rear Admiral, quickly running up in the direction the man was going.

"What...what do you mean Sir?" she started to stutter in her shock, "I've only just been promoted from Captain and I'm on your vessel already? What of my further training?"

Drake stopped, turned on his heel abruptly, so suddenly in fact that Sukui almost ran into his large frame but stopped just in time. He paused, looking her over, head to toe, his face unchanging.

"A couple things you should know before you step foot on my ship..." he started, looking directly at her face.

The Commodore never had a point in time were she was completely nervous around someone, sure there was some times when she had felt at least a tinge of anxiety, the few instances she met the Admirals, at her promotions...but this was different. This was one on one, face to face, this guy wasn't just looking at her, he was looking threw her.

"One, don't stutter. I don't need nervousness among crew, it's unsettling."

She swallowed the lump that had formed at the back of her throat, great first impression.

"Second, don't doubt me. I don't need that on MY vessel, I tell you something you do it, no questions."

His gaze wasn't showing any anger or...anything for that matter, just pure intimidation.

"I...ugh...yes Sir." Sukui confirmed, greeting him with another hand raised to the corner of her right eyebrow.

Drake raised an eyebrow at the female officer, sighing and turning back on his heel, "Hurry up."

"Y-Yes Sir!" with that she ran after the man, his legs were much longer then hers so his steady strides put her into an awkward jog of sorts to catch up.

"Rule number one Commodore Sukui!" Drake reminded, "Stop with that stuttering!"

She decided to just keep her mouth shut for now, until she could cope with the current situation. She just had her promotion ceremony, legitimately hours ago, she was supposed to start Commodore training at the base tomorrow. So why was she already commissioned to a new vessel.

"From here on out I will not only be your higher ranked officer on board, but you will be second in command." he went on in explaining, not looking back at her, just expecting her to be right behind him on his left shoulder.

"Second in command..." she mumbled under her breath.

This was all happening so fast, from the status of Captain just yesterday to now second in command on a large military vessel.

"Yes, I will also take it upon myself to train you myself in regular sessions." Drake continued, obviously catching her doubt but choosing to ignore it, "Being a Rear Admiral I am more then capable to do so."

Sukui nodded, forgetting that he was in front of her, hence not being able to catch the action.

"I expect you to be up early in the morning,every morning. That is when I'll hold the training sessions, since it is the only free time I have." the Rear Admiral added, " I also require you to take it very seriously, I have no time to waste on someone who wont appreciate it and take the training seriously, understood?"

"Of course Sir."

* * *

"He was a great Marine...something I wish to become, but something made him leave...defect...and turn to piracy..." she explained, her eyes floating with memories from the past.

"What does this have to do with me?" Ace asked slowly, he didn't understand what she was trying to get at.

"It made me realize that, if the guy I looked up to wholeheartedly, could become a pirate. Something I had hunted and treated no better then everyone else in the Navy does. If he...could become a pirate, then that means that...well all pirates couldn't be that bad." she stumbled around her words, trying to explain and having a hard time in doing so.

"So...you remarkably had a change of heart?" Ace asked, suspicious and not exactly believing her.

Sure, he had heard about the Supernova 'X-Drake' the ex-Marine, but it was hard to believe that his defecting had caused her head to completely do a flip. It was a long shot, one he wasn't willing to accept, not yet anyway. Not without further explanation, which he waited for.

"Not really...it kinda of started slowly. I was really angry at first, and took it out on pirates. That's how I ended up with Drake's old position, I went on a rampage, searching for him."

Ace fell silent, now that made more sense. If his role-model flipped to the 'enemy' side, he would have a couple 'fits' as well.

"He taught me how to effectively take...well you guys out, how to capture pirates, fight against them. Trained me early every morning and we fought together. How could he suddenly leave me behind and become one himself?" Sukui started mumbling, her green eyes sharpening in anger.

* * *

"Drake!"

Her voice carried out into the snow storm. She could barley see, it was almost white out conditions but she knew, she knew he was out there, in the valley bellow the cliff she was standing on.

Finally, after island after island she had found the boat. There it was, plain as day, anchored at the shoreline of the empty winter island. She knew that ship well, she spent five years of her life on that ship, protecting it, sleeping on it, living in it...The off colours made her rage flare from deep inside her. The proud Navy shades were covered and defiled. It was easy to take over the previously owned Marine ship, with her past knowledge and with the little to no pirates within the vessel it self. It took minutes for her crew to ramble up the occupying criminals and round them up in the deck. Cuffing each of their wrists together and sitting them in a group facing herself.

"Where's Drake?" her glare was just about as icy and unforgiving as the island behind them.

Her pulse quickened with being this close to her goal, he was somewhere here on this island. The pirates glared back, no one opening their mouths, but one.

"Go back to the Government's boots, you dog."

Sukui froze, staring down the pirate who dared to insult her in her current state of rage.

"Ah!" the same pirate screamed out.

Suddenly, from where the Commodore stood before she 'fazed' and was now over the criminal who had spoke out, her foot currently pinning down his left arm down to the wooden deck, the heel almost piercing the skin as the pirate who, was still restrained like the rest, could only lay there and take it.

"I'd suggest you do yourself a mercy and tell me where your CAPTAIN is." Sukui commanded, venom dripping on the word 'captain'.

His mouth stayed shut, not willing to sell out his leader. The officer laughed out loud, a 'righteous' pirate, who knew such a thing existed. With her underlings watching, the Commodore raised her foot at the defenceless criminal, stomping down at such a force that a sickening crack snapped across the deck, making everyone flinch and watch as the poor man screamed out in bloody murder and the female smiled down at him, her face showing her sadistic side. The point of her heel did in fact stab threw his forearm this time, making her yank out her foot from the fleshy glob, blood dripping down the point. The pirate hollered and kept on so, unable to even comfort his arm since his wrists were still cuffed behind his back. The other men looked frightened, watching the, previously strong willed man, cry like a newborn baby as his arm laid awkwardly on the deck, spilling blood along the wood. Sukui strolled over to the man next to her last victim.

"Now you, might want to tell me where Drake is headed, before you get the same treatment."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Here we are! Chapter 3...you know 3 is the charm? Its been a chapter for every day so far...this is crazy...so crazy. I hope you guys like this, I have had a bunch of views but no reviews yet, but it has been really early so I have my hope up still that it's not complete shit haha. I haven't realized how much I miss Ace until I started this story. Ugh, I understand why Ace needed to die...I just wish it wasn't so bad, and wasn't necessary. He was such a lovable character , but I feel like Oda did that for that single purpose. So his death would effect a lot more people a lot harder. T_T Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and review how it waqs or any spelling mistakes, thanks!**

* * *

She knew he was down there, somewhere within the storm.

"Drake! Show yourself you coward!" she screamed again.

By this time her underlings had thought her to be crazy, watching her torment the helpless pirates with no mercy and now screaming into a blizzard from the top of a cliff overlooking the valley.

"Miss!" a Captain called out loud so he could be heard over the wail of the winds, "We should head back, we'll get lost in the storm and there's no safe way down into that valley."

Sukui turned and gave her underlings a look that none of the men could take for very long.

"Get lost? Safe?" she repeated, her face twisting to one of utter disgust.

How dare they? How dare they try and give up this close? How could they not understand? That every moment, everything was leading up to this and they wanted to turn and go back because of some snow?!

A hand full of Marines nodded in agreement, there was in fact no way down to the valley unless you basicly jumped down off of the ledge. A pretty steep fall if anything, since you could not see the bottom, partially from the storm and partially from the shear height.

"So you're telling me that a group of pirates can go down there," she shot her finger out accusingly over the edge, "but a bunch of officers, trained in combat and such activities like this, can't?!"

Everyone that had agreed with the first Captain all found themselves looking down at their feet, not able to look at their Commodore. Sure they were trained, but not trained to jump from crazy heights. Sukui spat on the snow covered ground, raising her hand to keep the wind from throwing her brunette hair into her face, so she could get a good look at all of them. Most of her crew were understanding and giving her sad looks back. All of those sympathetic members were from the previous vessel ran by the infamous X Drake. They understood where all this crazy, obsessive actions were coming from. The others...just had no idea.

"You all make it seem like I was the only one he betrayed!"

Their faces all fell, what could they say to her? Yes he back stabbed them too, but this...was too far. She had towed them all across multiple oceans after him, from the North Blue into the Grand Line. What more did she want? To walk head first into a blizzard, unprepared for the cold weather or with the proper rations for how long they would be out away from their ship. They would get lost and get sick for nothing, there was no need...in their eyes.

"Then you go back." she spat out, turning to face the cliff again.

They didn't get it, they wouldn't get it. What was the point in wasting time trying to convince them while Drake was getting farther away?

"But Commodore..." the Captain from earlier mumbled in reply, "We can't leave you..."

"None of you guys understand anything." the woman explained, her voice still dripping with anger, "Go back to my ship and watch it, have everything clean and food waiting in my quarters. If you don't want to act like Marines then you can act like the maids."

No one spoke against her, because there was no time to do so, as she suddenly just disappeared from the tip of the cliff, disturbing the snow that was around her figure as well, but only momentarily. Until it went back to the way it was, the only evidence of her previous presence were her foot prints, currently getting filled with the fluttering snowflakes as her crew stood there, dumbfounded.

* * *

"Ha..." Ace chuckled, cutting Sukui's story, "You were a bitch back then."

What was he saying? He hardly knew this Marine officer and now he was acting like they were good friends, sitting down for some tea and cookies at the end of the day.

"Oh..." the Rear Admiral seemed caught off guard with his choice of words.

The silence grew thick and uncomfortable, Ace was mentally kicking himself for not keeping his mouth shut. He still didn't understand what was going on in her head but really...that was his own fault for interrupting her. Now, the air was empty from sound but full of stiff awkwardness.

"Here, I almost forgot." the girl offered, finally breaking the silence with the sound of her words and the metal tray sliding along the ground towards him.

Two, old buns and a cup of water stared up back at him, two cold, stale buns instead of the usual one. The Officer watched silently as the pirate greedily devoured the doubled meal and then quickly followed it with the cup of warmish water.

"So..." Ace started, eyeing the female in front of him, "You don't seem that old..."

Oh god was he ever awkward.

"..."

Her eyebrow raised as she took back the tray, not knowing what to say or if she even wanted to even try for that matter.

"How did you get to Commodore so fast?" he coughed out, looking everywhere but at that perfectly arched eyebrow that seemed to be glaring at him accusingly.

"Oh," that said eyebrow dropped, "Yes, I got promoted to Commodore on my seventeenth birthday."

"You were only seventeen?!" his voiced raised and cracked a little bit.

It seemed like no matter how much water he drank his throat would have a permanent dry crackle.

Sukui scratched at the back of her head in embarrassment, this always happened, "I didn't really go the traditional way if anything." the Rear Admiral laughed.

Ace paused, trying to do the math...

"I joined the Marines when I was fifteen, but before that I grew up at the main base and went threw the Navy training ever since I could remember. Within two years I had reach Commodore status, I was called the Marine's Prodigy...ha what a laugh." the officer continued to ramble, no letting Ace comment, only trying and soak it all in, "I got raised in the way of Absolute Justice, but here I am, catering to an infamous Pirate..."

He felt as if that last part wasn't for him, but for herself...only spoken out loud. It made sense, she must have been going crazy at he moment. Being raised from day one to see pirates as the end all be all evil...having your teacher become one and then lastly taking care of one that's being sent to execution. Wait...what was he doing? Why was he worried about her when he was the one on death road? God damned freckles.

"How old are you?" Ace asked, pulling his mind away from the self sympathy to focus on anything else.

Sukui sighed and stuck her right hand inside of her prestigious white coat, reaching for an inside pocket and bringing out a palm sized circular object. She rolled it in her hand, a flash caught Ace's eyes, what ever the 'thing' was, it looked like it was made of expensive silver.

"I'm twenty-three..." she sighed, her hand clutching at the circle harder as the words came out of her mouth.

* * *

Sukui's heart was racing, she might have pushed it a little too far this morning. Everything shifted back to normal as she gasped for air as a way to slow her pace down.

"Shit..." the Commodore muttered under her breath, her knees wobbling underneath her frame ultimately making her drop to the deck.

"You dropped your defence." a deep voice warned, before a well placed foot snapped at the middle of her back, sending the girl flying to the railings of the deck.

Her hand shook, grabbing at the fabric in the front of her blouse. Her breath came faster as her heart seemed to not want to slow down.

"Hey kid." Drake called out, strolling towards her, "You pushed it too far again."

Sukui hated this, she hated having him standing there hovering over her watching her as she had this completely defenceless, self acquired attack. A cold sweat dropped over her body.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to go too far?" the Rear Admiral asked, "What's the point in having that couple seconds where you have more strength only to have one of these attacks and be defenceless?"

Why did he have to do this all the time? Kick her while she was down? Her heart was starting to slow down, but her skin flushed and paled.

"You're twenty today and you have almost had a heart attack every time you try that, when will you learn?" Drake carried on, sighing as he shook his head.

Sukui's eyes shot up at him, did he really...remember her birthday?

"You're going to make yourself die young." his ramblings fell to death ears.

"Did you-gasp-really remember my birthday?" she asked, still trying to get her breathing together but already feeling miles better.

The Rear Admiral stopped in his pacing, staring down at her. He blinked, as if trying to refresh his memory of what was just said.

"Is that really what you care about?"

"Did you?"

"Did you listen to a thing I said?"

"Yes Sir, I-"

"OK, then..."

Sukui froze, waiting for the answer.

"Yes...I did. It's mandatory that I know everything about my underlings...as well as their birthdays and how old they are." he tried to explain, trying to worm his way out of it.

The Commodore grabbed at the top of the railings and pulled herself up, knowing that soon the deck was going to flood with the rest of the crew and she would not let anyone else see her like that.

"Thank you Sir." Sukui smiled, enjoying the moment, since this was the only time she was probably going to see Drake out of his normal, all too serious, stature.

He nodded in recognition and turned away from her to look out to the sea.

"I'll start in the navigation room this morning, to make sure we're still on track." she explained, walking away and starting up the stairs that lead to the small upper level.

"Oh, Commodore..." Drake called out, making the girl turn to face back at him, "Happy Birthday."

With out even looking at her, he tossed something behind him. Sukui caught it with no problem, but she was a little dumbfounded about the situation. In her hand was a large sized, silver pocket watch. The Object it self was made from a sparkling, expensive looking silver, the front was carved into a picture of a vessel, much like the one she was currently on, sailing into a setting sun. The more she looked at it the more she realized that it was a carving of the ship she was on...which meant he went and got it personally crafted just for her. She, after getting a hold of her shock, lightly clicked the top of the device making it open to reveal a brand new face clock. Sukui could hear the slight ticking and gazed at the back of the swinging door.

_Hinikuna D. Sukui_

Not only did he get it specially made, he had gotten her name carved into it. She stood there, not knowing what to do. The both of them, the Commodore and Rear Admiral together, were not very good with dealing with emotional situations. Leading to the reason why Drake was facing the ocean and the female officer was dead silent, but that silence seemed to be enough for the both of them, they understood and got the 'conversation' from the absence of sound.

_Clink_

Sukui slowly shut the small, pure silver door. The wind caught her hair and started flinging it around her face, was she getting emotional?

"Sniff."

Oh God... was...she crying now? She watched Drake's figure suddenly straighten at that.

"Sorry Sir..." she mumbled, wiping her face and kicking herself.

He was not going to let her live this down, ever. But how did he expect her to act? This was the first time someone had gotten her something so personalized as a gift, who wouldn't be emotional?

"That's...alright." the Rear Admiral forced out, still having his back towards her.

Not that she would want it any other way.


End file.
